Auchinleck Talbot 2-1 Musselburgh Athletic: 'Burgh beaten but far from bowed

Ayrshire aces Auchinleck deserve their success. They beat holders Linlithgow, local rivals Cumnock, new West champions Irvine Meadow and last season's East champions Bo'ness to reach the final. They were also the better side in that.

However, Musselburgh produced a performance that did justice to a side from the Honest Toun, running themselves into the ground for manager David McGlynn and throughly deserving the warm applause at the final whistle from the 3000 fans who'd travelled through from East Lothian.

"I'm the proudest man in the world because those boys have given me their all - they worked their socks off," admitted McGlynn after watching The Burgh go behind just before the break to a sweet strike from Michael McCann but hit back with 76th-minute equaliser from Chris King. The Olivebank side had their best spell of the game after that and it was difficult to disagree with the assumption of the manager that he was confident his team would have got the winning goal if there had been another five minutes to go in normal time.

Alas, the break in play before the start of extra-time did Auchlinleck a favour and, with their opponents still not switched back on, Brian Young struck what proved to be the winner three minutes after the restart.

"If there had been another five minutes in the 90 minutes, then I think we might have won it as we had them on the rack at that point," added McGlynn. "We changed the formation and were getting some joy out of pushing and probing them. But we switched off in the first couple of minutes of extra-time and that cost us the Cup.

"Ninety minutes is hard enough in a Junior Cup final due to the adrenaline and nerves kicking.

But we've got a lot of boys who've had niggling injuries - I also took a chance with Paul Tansey, who needed an injection to play - and the extra-time made it even more difficult for us."

In a swirling wind, Musselburgh started the game in a positive manner and, with Kris Renton in particular showing real hunger in making run after run into the channels, they certainly let Auchlinleck know they were going to have to work for a ninth Scottish Cup success.

Graeme Beveridge popped up in the right place at the right time to thump clear a John Boyle effort as Tommy Sloan's side started to gain a foothold in the game before the same player sent a dipping shot over the Musselburgh bar with 'keeper Keiron Renton back-pedalling furiously.

Boyle was involved again when Gavin Collins flashed a header across the face of the goal but, just as it looked as though Musselburgh were going to go in on level terms at the break, disaster struck in the 43rd minute.

Scott Gibson hadn't put a foot wrong before then. And he hardly did a single thing wrong for the rest of the game. But, after taking a pass from Alan Morgan, his attempt to return the ball only succeeded in it going straight to McCann.

The Auchinleck man didn't waste a second as he burst forward a few yards before burying a shot past the helpless Renton.

"Scott was magnificent throughout the 90 minutes but, unfortunately, he couldn't the ball out of his feet to get enough on it to clear it," said McGlynn of the goal.

"Probably Alan should have dealt with it first rather than passing to Scott but we got ourselves back in the game after that." It was no surprise to see King in a more advanced role after the break but, before he'd had a chance to stamp his mark on the game, Musselburgh survived a couple of close shaves at the other end.

A dangerous cross from Liam McVey was just too high for James Latta then Renton pulled off a great close-range save to deny Colin Spence after Latta had cut the ball back into the path of his team-mate just outside the six-yard box.

King almost levelled just after the hour mark, bursting forward from near the centre circle to fire in a shot that Andy Leishman did well to touch over his crossbar after it had taken a wicked deflection off the giraffe-like legs of Rikki Robb.

Boyle let Musselburgh off the hook when he missed a sitter from no more than three yards after being picked out Spence shortly afterwards before Renton felt Musselburgh should have had a penalty for handball with 15 minutes to go.

Seconds later, though, that was quickly forgotten about as King sent those Musselburgh fans wild with delight as the equaliser came from the best - and most simple - move of the match. Matti King played a ball into the right channel for Renton to latch on to, his cross into the middle was just about inch-perfect and King slid in to steer a shot into net.

Game on. And, with their tails up, Musselburgh threatened again shortly afterwards, the goalscorer feeding Graeme Beveridge as he burst forward only for the ball to get stuck under his feet as he was about to pull the trigger.

Substitute Brian Murray got his shot away from just outside the box with four minutes to go, forcing Leishman into another fine save and, at that point, it certainly did look as though the Musselburgh dream could come true. Alas, the head of steam they were building up was doused right at the start of extra-time as a right-wing cross skipper Bryan Slavin picked out Young, who made room for a shot and swept the ball into the net from 14 yards.

As much as Musselburgh huffed and puffed thereafter - and a good few of them looked to be dead on their feet - a great save from Renton and the woodwork prevented Auchinleck from adding a third.

"They're a good side, having beaten Linlithgow and Bo'ness comfortably, but we had them on the rack at 1-1," said McGlynn.

"Just to get here is a tremendous achievement for a small club like us and we had tremendous backing."